A vehicle consist is group of two or more vehicles mechanically coupled or linked together to travel along a route. One type of rail vehicle consist is a train, which may include one or more locomotives and one or more rail cars that carry cargo. When loading and unloading trains carrying cargo such as coal or iron ore, railroad companies may bring the trains through a tunnel where the loading and unloading of cargo occurs as the train moves at a pre-determined speed.
Currently known systems are limited in that the systems only have the capability of controlling the leading locomotive of a consist. Difficulties arise when the terrain in the tunnel has inclines, the leading locomotive malfunctions, or spatial adjustments are necessary to correctly position a particular remote locomotive or car for the loading or unloading of cargo operation.
For example, only being able to control the leading locomotive during loading and unloading may result in difficulties involved in generating sufficient tractive effort to climb the inclines and/or move through the tunnel if the leading locomotive malfunctions. These difficulties can be significantly time consuming and, as a result, negatively impact the revenue stream of the railroad companies.